Anachronism seems to be on the menu this week. Get your fill of steampunk at the Steam Expo or learn how to navigate using the stars. Get your pets blessed by the Friars of St. Francis of Assisi or look into the past with a Night Sky Viewing.

Steam Expo – Discover the collision of history, technology, imagination and attitude that make up the world of steampunk. SATURDAY & SUNDAY at Craigdarroch Castle (1050 Joan). Weekend pass $40. victoriasteamexpo.com.

Basset Hound Picnic – Honor the splendor that is the basset hound at this annual picnic. Includes blessing of pets by the Friars of St. Francis of Assisi. SATURDAY 10:30am at Dominion Brook Park (8732-8864 East Saanich). Free. 250-382-1754.

Starry Night Navigation – Learn the methods and science behind navigation using the stars, moon and planets. Then test your skills out on the water aboard one of Five Star’s Whale Watching’s signature vessels. SATURDAY 6:30-9:30pm at the Maritime Museum of BC (28 Bastion Square). $85/$65 for youths(6-18 years). 250-385-4222.

Night Sky Viewing – Enjoy the wonders of the night sky with the Victoria Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Including inside activities for adults and children, equipment demonstrations and audiovisual presentations relating to the night sky. Outside observing activities will take place weather permitting. MONDAY 6:30-10pm at the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association (1330 Fairfield). Free. 250-380-6358.

Win a prize pack and two tickets to Vox Humana’s CD release concert for Summer Rain by emailing calendar@mondaymag.com (SUBJECT: VOX). Enter ASAP, as the the concert is this SATURDAY (Sept 24).

Students are back at school and summer has indeed come to a close. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still fun to be had. Enjoy some art and wine at Art Incognito while raising funds for the Vancouver Island School of Art. Know a writer? Take them to Wired Words and find out what the writing profession is all about. Eat, drink and be merry at the Tibetan Cultural Society of Vancouver Island’s Tibetan dinner, Victoria’s Eat Here Now! festival or the Vining Street Block Party. There’s no excuse for boredom this weekend!

Wired words – Writers of all genres (emerging or professional) are invited to this writers festival focusing on social media and new technological opportunities for writers. SATURDAY 10am-5pm at the Maritime Museum of BC (28 Bastion Square). $61. 250-208-4811.

Tibetan Cultural Society of Vancouver Island – Hosts a fund raising dinner of authentic Tibetan food. Proceeds support the settlement of some of the 1,000 Tibetan refugees on Vancouver Island. SATURDAY 6pm at the Church of St. John the Divine hall (1611 Quadra). $25. 250-386-0211, tdolma@shaw.ca.

Vining Street Block Party – Woop it up with entertainment, food, silent auctions and more! 1-8:30pm at the corner of Stanley and Vining. Free.
African Marimba Workshop- Learn how to play those big wooden xylophones you’ve seen people playing downtown! No musical experience necessary, all instruments supplied. SUNDAY 2-3:30pm at 1333 Gladstone. $20. 250-732-1950, info@bopoma.org.

Flame Oz is just one of the many acts that'll grace Victoria during The International Buskers Festival.

With the International Buskers Festival in town, there’s no shortage of entertainment in downtown Victoria this week.

Big, Wet, Mammal Day – Otters, mink, beaver and muskrats, they’re all animals that make their home in Swan Lake. Discover what it takes to be at home in a watery world. Crafts, games, songs and touchable stuff. THURSDAY noon at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary (3873 Swan Lake). By donation/crafts $3. 250-479-0211.

International Buskers Festival – A family oriented event featuring busker acts from Australia, the US, Europe, and across Canada. FRIDAY-SUNDAY. Free. victoriabuskers.com.

Pruning Workshops – The BC Fruit Testers Association and Royal Roads University invite the public to learn more about summer pruning techniques and tree maintenance. Pruning 10am-noon. Budding & tree maintenance 12:30-1:30pm. All SATURDAY at Royal Roads University Orchard (2005 Sooke). Free. 250-656-0815.

Ford’n’Friends – Autoshow and picnic. Bring the kids and enjoy the whole day exploring the many attractions. SUNDAY 9am-4pm at Heritage Acres (7321 Lockside). $7. 250-479-4563.

Enjoy the visual arts this week with the Island Illustrators 25th Anniversary, the Victoria Comic book Show, and the Vancouver Island School of Art’s open house. Or maybe you’d prefer to better yourself by learning to plant a container garden or improving your self confidence. If all else fails, spend an evening pretending you’re in Paris supping on French fair at An Evening in Paris.

The Island Illustrators Society 25th Anniversary Celebration – Featuring the book launch, sale and signing of Coastal Moments, a brand-new writing and drawing journal featuring artwork by 44 members of the Island Illustrators Society combined with chosen quotes from some of BC’s finest poets THURSDAY 6-9pm at the AGGV (1040 Moss). $13/$11 students and seniors/free AGGV members. islandillustrators.org.

No Regrets – A workshop by singer and writer Heather Loewen based on her book 101 Reasons To Be Yourself.Positive change and creative liberation are at your fingertips. Registration required. SATURDAY 1:30-4pm at the Overleaf Cafe-Bookshop (1105 Pandora). $20. naturalreviews@hotmail.com.

An Evening in Paris – A full evening of live entertainment and great auction items to bid on, including original art pieces. Wonderful French appy’s and desserts are included in the ticket price. Proceeds support the new Arts Centre at Cedar Hill. SATURDAY 6:30-10pm at the Cedar Hill Rec Centre. $56. 250-475-7121, saanichlegacy.ca.

Comic Book Show – Come and experience the wide and varied universe of comic books. Thousands of examples from all eras, from the hottest books of the day to hard-to-find treasures of the past. Toys, non-sports card and other collectibles as well. Come buy, sell, trade or just browse around. Free comics (while they last). SUNDAY 11am-4pm at the Ukrainian Cultural centre (3277 Douglas). Free. 250-361-6227, gjcomics@shaw.ca.

Vancouver Island School of Art open House – See all the interesting work done by VISA students this semester. Instructors will be on hand for questions about upcoming courses. SUNDAY noon-4pm at VISA (2549 Quadra). Free. 250-380-3500.

Need a little inspiration for renovation season? Email calendar@mondaymag.com (SUBJECT: DESIGN) to win one of five weekend passes to the Home Design & Renovation Tour 2011 on April 16 & 17. This self-guided tour winds through some of Victoria’s most beautiful homes.

It seems like Shubenacadie Sam (Canada’s East coast groundhog) may have been right to predict an early spring. While the weather might not appear nicer, Victoria’s gardens are already bursting with blossomy anticipation. Till spring officially comes knocking, keep yourself amused with this week’s events.

Zonta Club of Victoria – Chinese buffet dinner meeting and presentation by Alan Lowe, former Mayor of Victoria on Chinese culture, history of the development of Victoria’s Chinatown and the formation of our sister city Zouchow in China. Everyone welcome. THURSDAY 5:30pm at the University Club (UVic). $30. 250-658-5516.

Tsukino Con 2011– Convention focuses on Japanese pop-culture with anime, manga and cosplay, as well as traditional Japanese culture. Featuring the locally made internet sensation LoadingReadyRun. FRIDAY-SUNDAY. $25 weekend pass. 250-588-3314, tsukinocon.com.

Knot-On-The-Schedule Workshop & Play Party – Join Fisherman, Ladyfish, Matt, and MzKizz as they pull out all the ropes (and a few naughty tricks) in this 3-hour workshop that will cover Rope 101 and Rope 102 (fundamentals of suspension). SATURDAY 1-4pm. Play party 8pm. All at the Victoria Event Centre (1415 Broad). $10-$25. sagacitygroup.net.

Health Co-operative Community Forum – Learn the latest about services in the community, at the Co-op Community Health Centre, and on our new website. SATURDAY 1-4pm at the James Bay United Church (517 Michigan). Free. 250-414-0308.